The statement from Pflag, a local charity supporting inclusivity, comes after York Regional Police arrested two 18-year-olds in connection with the burning of a Pride flag at a Markham, Ont., school.
Police said officers responded to a school in the area of Yonge Street and Clark Avenue on Tuesday following reports that a flag had been burned.
The initial investigation determined two suspects attended the school the night before, removed the Pride flag from its holder, ripped it and attempted to set it on fire, according to police.
Investigators said they believe the incident was hate-motivated.
“York Regional Police takes all hate-motivated incidents seriously and will not tolerate any form of hate crime,” a media release states.
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Representatives from Pflag said they believe the attack was intentional.
“Taking place during Pride Month, the attack on one of our community’s most sacred symbols, the Pride Flag, is intended to intimidate us, make us feel ‘less than’ and erase our visibility,” it said. “Hate-motivated campaigns of discrimination have been emboldened over the last decade. They are well-organized, well-funded and unfortunately, successful in their mandate to not only encourage bigoted thoughts, but encourage and promote hate-motivated incidents and hate crimes.”
Two 18-year-olds were charged with mischief under $5,000.
According to data from Statistics Canada, the number of hate crimes reported to police in Ontario more than doubled between 2020 and 2024. Approximately 14 per cent of these crimes are motivated by sexual orientation, the data shows.
The incident in Markham comes just days after OPP reported that several Pride flags were stolen from multiple locations, including a school, a place of worship and private residences in Norwich Township, located between Hamilton and London.
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On June 1, OPP say two suspects attended a school in Oxford County, removed a Pride flag and set it on fire.
Five days later, police say the metal flagpole at the same school was cut down and a Pride flag was stolen.
OPP told Global News they are investigating the incidents as related. There have been no charges laid at this time.
Elliot Duvall, the chapter lead of Pflag in London, told Global News the act sends a “harmful message” and can leave students, staff and the community feeling “isolated, unwelcome or targeted.”
“Schools responsibly have created environments where every student can learn and thrive. Acts like this undermine inclusion and can have real impacts on mental health, belonging and a young person’s sense of safety,” he said.
“Fighting for our place in this world is no longer a given,” the leadership team at Pflag York Region said. “It is a fight that requires active participation, leading the best way we know how; with relentless resiliency and visibility.”
The York Region Pride parade takes place on Saturday at 4 p.m.
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